Ode News
An Occasional Newsletter about Dragonflies and Damselflies in Southern New England

Volume XI, Number 1 - ISSN 1084-9750 - May 2004

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Welcome to Ode News, now entering its eleventh year of publication! We’ve survived another “real” New England winter, which, although not especially snowy, was one of the coldest in a couple decades or more. Good riddance to it! Although the winter was dry, the early spring was very wet (the wettest ever in Boston!), and as we head into the field season water levels range from normal to well above normal.

The cold damp weather of the early spring, resulted in the season’s first dragonfly appearing later than we’ve become accustomed to in recent years. But finally a bubble of warm air in the third week of April resulted in the widespread arrival of Common Green Darners, which were reported simultaneously from three sites on 19 April: two males at one of Rhode Island’s boghaunter sites (G. Brown); six in W. Groton, MA (J. Liske); and several, including an ovipositing pair in southern Berkshire County, MA (G. Corbiere). Additional reports came from several more sites the following day.

The first New England Odonate Conference in Athol, MA, on 17 April was a rousing success. The conference was attended by about 140 enthusiastic participants, far exceeding our most optimistic expectations! It was a perfect opening to the 2004 season and, given the remarkable response, we look forward to additional conferences in the future. See page 6 for an account of the event.

New resources for odonatists continue to appear at a dizzying pace. The newest, and perhaps most notable, is Damselflies of the Northeast, a superb new field guide by Ed Lam of New York. You will not want to head into the upcoming field season without a copy of this guide in your possession (see page 8)! Also new is a DVD, Common Dragonflies and Damselflies of Eastern North America, by Dick Walton and Greg Dodge; this, too, we recommend highly (see page 8). In this issue we have reviews of A Field Guide to the Dragonflies and Damselflies of Massachusetts (page 9) and Dragonflies of the North Woods (page 11), as well as a summary of the 2003 field season in Connecticut by Mike Thomas and Dave Wagner (page 4), and a note about yet another difficult taxonomic issue facing New England odonatists.

An active schedule of field trips is in the offing this summer, and a full listing appears on page 2. Also check out Dave Small’s announcement of the America Rubyspot Project on page 8 (as if they aren’t already busy enough up there in the wilds of northern Worcester County!). It should be another exciting year and we hope to see you in the field!

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CONTENTS:

 

2003 Connecticut summary
Another "new" species in new england?
dragonflies: review
dragonflies of the north woods: review

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Broadmoor Dragonfly Institute

 

This is a course for beginners sponsored by the Broadmoor Wildlife Sanctuary in Natick, Massachusetts, July 7 – 24, consisting of three evening lectures and three field trips.

 

We will be looking at the life cycle, habitat, behavior, and identification of family, genus and species. Slide lectures on Wednesay evenings (7:00 – 8:30 pm) July 7, 14, and 21, with field trips on Saturdays (10:00 am – 2:00 pm), July 10, 17, and 24. Close-focusing binoculars recommended.

 

Instructor: Bob Bowker; Field Trip Leaders: Bob Bowker and Blair Nikula (7/21). The fee is $45 for Mass Audubon members; $50 for non-members. To register, call the Broadmoor Sanctuary at 508-655-2298.

 

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2004 Northeast DSA Meeting

 

This year’s Northeast DSA meeting will be held in Hartford, Vermont, on the weekend of June 25 – 27. Hartford is situated in east-central Vermont, adjacent to the Connecticut River near White River Junction. The meeting is being coordinated by Bryan Pfeiffer and coincides with the Vermont BioBlitz scheduled for the area on 26 June. Field trips on Friday and Saturday will visit areas near and along the Connecticut and Ottauquechee rivers. Optional field trips are planned for Sunday. On Friday evening, Dr. Mark McPeek of Dartmouth University will present a program about the distribution of damselflies in relation to the occurrence of fish. To reserve a spot at the meeting, contact Bryan Pfeiffer at: ?? For more information, visit: www.vinsweb.org.BioBlitz/DSA-NE.html.

 

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2004 DSA North America Meeting

 

The 2004 DSA meeting will be held 8 – 12 July in Decorah, Iowa. Decorah is located in the northeastern part of the state, about 3½ hours northeast of Des Moines and 3 hours south of Minneapolis. The meeting will be based at Luther College in Decorah. For the first time at one of these gatherings, a full day will be devoted to indoor programs. A pre-meeting trip 5 – 8 July will search the area north of Waterloo–Cedar Rapids for a yet-to-be-described species of Ophiogomphus, tentatively named the “Sand Snaketail.” For information visit: www.windsofkansas.com/dsa2004.html.

 

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CONNECTICUT HIGHLIGHTS – 2003

Mike Thomas & Dave Wagner

 

A growing band of Connecticut birders have caught the ode bug and are spreading across the state with their digital cameras and binoculars. Many, realizing the futility of on-the-wing identifications for many species, have made the investment in quality insect nets, which are wielded in “Luke Skywalker” like fashion.

 

Connecticut oders added over 1,200 records, 10 new county records, and the re-discovery of the Rapids Clubtail (Gomphus quadricolor), previously believed extirpated from the state. Of the 148 species documented for Connecticut, 119, or 80%, were reported during the 2003 field season. As is to be expected, finding new state and county records is becoming increasingly difficult, but even more rewarding.

 

Overall, early season adult numbers seemed to be down, perhaps due to the cool, wet weather experienced during the spring and early summer (refer to Massachusetts Highlights-2003, Ode News, Vol. X, No. 2). The slow start to the season may also explain the numerous late records reported, with new late dates documented for 37 species. Most surprising was a newly emerged Ashy Clubtail (Gomphus lividus) found along the Farmington River on 13 July (MT). One species that seemed to have a “boom” year was the Lance-tipped Darner (Aeshna constricta), which greatly outnumbered the Shadow Darner (A. umbrosa) at a number of sites.

 

A summary of some of the more noteworthy finds during the 2003 season is provided below.

 

Connecticut state-listing designations: [E] = Endangered; [T] = Threatened; [SC] = Special Concern. Observers: Michael Beauchene, Tom Fiore, Danielle Gustafson, Andy Guthrie, Greg Hanisek, Jay Kaplan, Brad Kline, Cindy Kobak, Noble Proctor, Dave Provencher, Mark Szantyr, Mike Thomas, Dave Wagner, Ryan Wagner, Kristine Wallstrom, Fran Zygomont.

 

Superb Jewelwing (Calopteryx amata) [SC]: Survey efforts resulted in the discovery of three additional populations: West Branch of the Farmington River in Hartland (MT, FZ), Salmon River in Granby (JK), and the Still River in Colebrook (Litchfield County) (MT). This species has now been reported from six streams or rivers. We believe it is likely to be found on any cold-water trout stream in the northwestern corner of the state. Based on these findings, its de-listing as a Species of Special Concern status will be recommended.

 

Sparkling Jewelwing (Calopteryx dimidiata) [SC]: The discovery of this coastal plain species on the Moosup River in Sterling on 18 July (MB) provided a first for Windham County.

 

American Rubyspot (Hetaerina americana): The only reports for this striking damselfly came from a known site on the Naugatuck River (Harwinton) during 12-21 September (JK, MS). This species is believed to be declining statewide (only three extant populations) and has been proposed for listing as a species of Special Concern.

 

Great Spreadwing (Archilestes grandis): For the fourth consecutive year, this southern spreadwing was reported from the state; this time from Fairfield County where an adult was photographed in Greenwich by Andy Guthrie in his backyard on 7 Sept. This species appears to be expanding its range northeastward and should be sought in Rhode Island and Massachusetts.

 

Citrine Forktail (Ischnura hastata): Large numbers of this diminutive and infrequently encountered damsel were reported at a new site in Preston (New London County) on 23 August (DP, JK).

 

Comet Darner (Anax longipes): As in 2002, there was only one sighting of this impressive coastal plain species, which was once again seen at Horse Pond in Madison on 23 August (JK).

 

Variable Darner (Aeshna interrupta): This northern darner was photographed along the Appalachian Trail on Bear Mountain (Salisbury) on 12 July (TF, DG, BK, KW), and a second individual was reported from Norfolk on 15 August (MS).

 

Spatterdock Darner (Aeshna mutata): This early season darner was again common at a number of sites across the state. Most impressive was a feeding swarm of up to six females hawking insects along the edge of a field in Canaan (Litchfield County) during the late afternoon on 29 June (MT). Once considered rare in Connecticut, it has recently been reported from all but one county (Fairfield).

 

Cyrano Darner (Nasiaeschna pentacantha): The only report of this southern darner came from a new site on the Pachaug River in Voluntown on 1 July, where up to six males were observed on territory (MT).

 

Midland Clubtail (Gomphus fraternus) [SC]: During a kayaking trip on the Connecticut River north of Hartford on 29 June, up to five individuals were found perching on sandy beaches, along with a newly emerged female Riverine Clubtail (Stylurus amnicola) [SC], which was found clinging to vegetation (MT).

 

Rapids Clubtail (Gomphus quadricolor) [SC]: Last documented in 1928, this species was Connecticut’s only dragonfly believed extirpated. On 15 June, a teneral female was discovered perching on vegetation in a sandplain (Simsbury) not far from the Farmington River (MT), providing a first Hartford County record and evidence that this regionally scarce dragonfly may be resident and breeding in the state.

 

Zebra Clubtail (Stylurus scudderi): Two new sites were discovered for this elusive species. A newly emerged adult was rescued from the East Branch of the Shepaug River in Milton on 13 July, providing a new early record (KW, BK), and larvae were found in mud sediments of the Salmon River in Simsbury on 11 Oct. (MT). The only other report came from the Hollenbeck River in Canaan, where a single adult and several larvae were found on 20 September (RW, DW, MT).

 

Arrow Clubtail (Stylurus spiniceps) [SC]: Adults were observed on the Farmington River in Simsbury on 25 August and 2 October (JK), providing a new late record. Larvae and exuviae collections from the Connecticut and Farmington Rivers suggest this species is more abundant than previously thought, and based on these findings, it will be recommended for de-listing.

 

Arrowhead Spiketail (Cordulegaster obliqua): Larval searches in small forested steams produced two new county records: Litchfield County (Mohawk State Forest, Cornwall) on 30 May and New London County (Nehantic State Forest, Lyme) on 7 June (MT).

 

Umber Shadowdragon (Neurocordulia obsoleta) and Stygian Shadowdragon (Neurocordulia yamaskanensis): Nine Umber and two Stygian Shadowdragons were found patrolling alongside a boat dock between 8:30 – 9:00 PM at a traditional site on the Connecticut River in Cromwell during the period of 20 June – 8 July (MT et. al).

 

Ski-tailed Emerald (Somatochlora elongata) [SC]: Several males of this rarely encountered emerald were netted and photographed along a small forested stream in Norfolk during the period of 11 -18 August (MZ).

 

Mocha Emerald (Somatochlora linearis): The only report of this emerald was a single female photographed on 28 July in Guilford (CK).

 

Williamson's Emerald (Somatochlora williamsoni): A male hit by a car and rescued on 28 July in Morris (GH) provided the first report of the season for this seldom encountered emerald. On the evening of 13 August, a second male was taken in Canton (JK), and on 18 August a female hawking insects along a field in Voluntown provided a first for New London County (MT).

 

Ringed Boghaunter (Williamsonia lintneri) [E]: Several adults of this rare spring denizen were photographed in Hampton and Windham during the period of 10 May – 10 June, providing a new late date (MS). An early instar larva was found in a sphagnum pool on 4 May (MT), suggesting this species may sometimes require more than one year to complete larval development.

 

Blue Corporal (Ladona deplanata) [SC]: This coastal plain species was observed on several occasions in Lyme during 29 May – 23 June, establishing a new late date (CK, NP).

 

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Martha’s Vineyard Survey

Allan Keith and Matt Pelikan

 

A detailed survey of the odonate species known for Martha’s Vineyard was begun in 2003, which has resulted in the documentation of 51 species, nearly 20 more than had previously been recorded for Dukes County. This project will be continued in future years, but we want to receive from past visitors notes on any species observed, together with precise dates and localities. We believe that there may be as many as another 20 species to be recorded on the island. We also want to receive any notes at all from Noman’s Land Island, which is part of the town of Chilmark. Please send any notes or comments to:

keiths@vineyard.net or

P.O.Box 247, Chilmark MA 02535.

 

Thank you!

 

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Another “New” Species in New England?

Blair Nikula

 

These days, it seems that additions to a local fauna are as likely to occur through taxonomic “splitting” of forms as through the discovery in the field of a previously unrecorded species in an area. For decades, odonatologists have pondered the status of a form of bluet that is nearly identical to the Northern Bluet (Enallagma cyathigerum), differing only in very subtle characteristics of the male appendages. This bluet generally has been considered a form of Northern Bluet, referred to as Enallagma cyathigerum vernale. Northern Bluets occur widely across northern portions of North America, while the form vernale is known only from the northeastern U.S., up into eastern Canada, where it is sympatric with the nominate form.

 

Nick Donnelly has been studying this problem for many years and has become convinced that vernale is in fact a good species. The DSA’s Committee on Common Names has responded by chosing Vernal Bluet as the common name for this “new” species. However, it is important to note that this does not confer “official” species status. Indeed, there currently is no committee or other organization that passes judgment on the taxonomy of odonates (such as the American Ornithologists Union, for example, does with North American birds). Why is this? Good question! But that’s a topic for another time.

 

Although Northern and Vernal bluets are essentially identical in appearance and identifiable only through microscopic examination, the two forms apparently segregate by habitat, at least where their ranges overlap: Northern Bluets occur primarily in bogs or boggy pools where fish are scarce to absent, while Vernal Bluets are found in lakes and small rivers where fish are numerous. Yet, intergrades between the two apparently are common, so at least some co-mingling must occur. Northern Bluets have an early flight season, being on the wing in southern New England from early May into early July (averaging somewhat later northward), and presumably Vernal Bluet is similar in this regard.

 

Currently, the status of Vernal Bluet in southern New England is murky, at best. Clarification will require a series of specimens from throughout the region. Anyone encountering Northern-type bluets, particularly in non-boggy habitats, could advance our knowledge by taking a couple of specimens for subsequent examination in the lab.

 

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DRAGONFLIES

Steve Brooks. 2003. Smithsonian Books, Washington, DC (in association with the Natural History Museum, London). 96 pages. 91 color photos plus several line drawings. 8¼”x 9¼.” $XX.XX

 

This modest book is one of the best bargains among the world’s odonate publications. Steve Brooks, who also authored the Field Guide to the Dragonflies and Damselflies of Great Britain and Ireland (to my mind one of the finest field guides ever published for any group of organisms), has pulled together a very readable, though not always clear or accurate, text covering all aspects of odonate biology and natural history along with a superb collection of photos from around the world.

 

The book’s six primary chapters cover the expected aspects of life history, anatomy, physiology, conservation, and folklore. The chapter entitled “Dragonfly and Damselfly Diversity” presents a brief review of each of the world’s 29 families of odonates. Unfortunately, the author has a troubling tendency to present assumptions as proven facts. For example, he states that males in the Calopterygidae, during their courtship displays, float downstream for a few meters in order to demonstrate to the female the speed of the waters movement. While this is may be a reasonable assumption, it is unproven and perhaps unproveable. In another case, after discussing the impact of odonate larvae on mosquito larvae (again, some of his points being speculative), the author writes “Adult Odonata also account for large numbers of adult mosquitoes,” a statement that is both very ambiguous (but presumably means that adult odonata eat significant numbers of mosquitoes) and unproven. A healthy scientific prudence is generally lacking from the text.

 

The photographs alone are worth the book’s bargain price. Almost all are sharp, well-exposed, very well reproduced, and a treat for the eyes. Curiously, the cover photo is the poorest in the book!

 

This book is very similar in concept to Jill Silsby’s Dragonflies of the World, being essentially a condensed version of that fine work. Silsby’s text is both more extensive and authoritative, but the photos, though more numerous, do not match the consistent quality in Dragonflies. In sum, Dragonflies would be a fine and inexpensive addition to any odophiles library – just don’t accept everything in the text as Gospel!

Blair Nikula

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Dragonflies of the North Woods

Kurt Mead. 2003. Kollath-Stensaas Publishing. 203 pages. 4½” x 8¼.” 200+ color photos. $18.95.

 

The newest in the North Woods Naturalist Series, a series of field guides covering the Great Lakes region, this latest addition to the burgeoning list of odonate guides will be of considerable interest to ode watchers in this area: it covers 102 species of dragonflies, 82 of which are recorded from southern New England (and several others from northern New England). Although damselflies are not the focus of the guide, six of the more common species are illustrated on two pages at the end of the species accounts.

 

The size of the guide is somewhat unorthodox, but makes it readily “pocketable.” It is printed on glossy stock and appears to be of durable construction (though I’ve not yet had an opportunity to put it through a workout in the field).

 

Twenty-two pages of introductory chapters cover the expected subjects such as dragonfly anatomy, biology, and behavior, observing dragonflies, and how to use the guide. The author writes in a lively, chatty style, and his enthusiasm for his subjects is abundantly evident throughout the text.

 

The species accounts entail 163 pages and include sections entitled “Description” and “Similar Species,” and many (though not all) also have additional sections on “Flight Characteristics,” “Hunting Technique,” “Mating and Egg Laying,” and “Larvae.” In most cases there is also a side bar entitled “Nature Notes” which has interesting tidbits of information not covered in the other categories. For each species there is also a phenogram illustrating the flight season, under which is a description of the habitat.

 

The guide is lavishly illustrated with over 200 color photos, with at least one photo of every species and multiple photos (as many as five) for some species. For many species only the male is illustrated, and in a few cases only the female. Although the photo reproduction is quite good, the quality of the photos themselves is uneven, some being rather blurry. (In the name of full disclosure, I should reveal that I provided a number of photos for the guide.) However, all of the main photos are reproduced at life size or greater, which means that the salient field characteristics are usually easy to see.

 

In several species, the sexes are misidentified in the photos: the Riffle Snaketail “male” is actually a female; while the Forcipate Emerald and Williamson’s Emerald “females” are actually males. The Calico Pennant “male” also appears to be a female, albeit a very male-like individual. The only spreadwing illustrated is mis-identified: it is a Slender Spreadwing (Lestes rectangularis), not a Common Spreadwing (L. disjunctus); and, curiously, the one photo of Eastern Forktail (Ischnura verticalis) is of a blue female (though is not identified to sex in the caption).

 

One of my pet peeves in odonate publications in general is the mis-orientation of photos, most often resulting in vertically perching species such as darners and the large emeralds being portrayed horizontally, which, of course, is very misleading. This is almost always done to facilitate the layout of the book, and while one might excuse this in some publications (though I don’t!), it is inexcusable in a field guide. In this guide, such transgressions occur with the Springtime Darner and the Forcipate Emerald.

 

The book concludes with a glossary, a checklist, a “phenology flight chart” (a nice addition, which uses bar graphs to show, at a glance, the relative flight seasons of 31 of the most common [?] species), a bibliography, a brief review of binoculars suitable for dragonfly watching, and an index.

 

Dragonflies of the North Woods is a welcome addition to the growing list of odonate field guides and odophiles in New England will find much of interest within its colorful pages.

Blair Nikula

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Humboldt Odonate Course

 

The Humboldt Institute in eastern Maine will be offering a series of entomology seminars in 2004, including Damselflies and Dragonflies: Systematics and Biomonitoring, May 30 - June 5. This seminar is offered for naturalists and specialists involved with or interested in aquatic insect inventory and biomonitoring. The program will cover several topics in the study of Odonata including their life cycle, morphology, behavior, and species distributions in the northeast, as well as sampling and preservation techniques. Fieldwork will provide experience in survey methods for all life stages. Lab work will focus on identification, as well as the use and creation of virtual collections using digital images. The course is being taught this year by Frederick H. SaintOurs, who has been documenting and studying Odonata throughout the northeast and the American tropics for the last seven years. Currently he is developing image-based, web-accessible invertebrate identification tools. For more informa­tion phone: 207-546-2821; or visit the Humboldt web site at: www.eaglehill.us.[??]